Lesson - King Nebuchadnezzar Dreams About The Great Image

VERSES:   Daniel 2:1-49

MEMORY VERSE:   Daniel 2:28.  "But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:  2 Thessalonians.  Write "2 Thessalonians" on small slips of paper and hand out at the end of class, so the students may memorize the verse at home.

PRAYER:   Thank God for His Bible that He gave to us to read every day.

SPECIAL SONG:   Read, Read Every Day (February - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #1 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:   Large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• We remember from last time that God talked to Daniel through dreams and visions. This is important to our lesson because the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, had a dream and couldn't remember what it was. It troubled him so much that he called all of his wise men to come and tell him, not only what he dreamed, but what the dream meant. Sometimes wise men are called wise, but they really are not wise. This was the case of King Nebuchadnezzar's wise men. When the king called the wise men to come and stand before him, the wise men had no clue what the king had dreamed, so they said they could not tell him what the dream meant, if they didn't know what he dreamed! The wise men made many excuses why they could not help the king and soon the king became angry and very furious  Sometimes men say and do silly things when they are angry. Because the wise men said that no one but a god could do what the king requested,  King Nebuchadnezzar commanded that all the wise men be destroyed! The king's command went out into the land and the soldiers looked for Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego because they, too, were wise men.
• When Daniel heard about the king's command to kill all the wise men, he asked the captain of the king's guard why the king had made this command. When the captain informed Daniel that the king dreamed a dream, but didn't know what the dream was or what it meant and no one would help him, Daniel went right in and asked the king to give him a little time and he would interpret the dream for him. Then Daniel went to his house and told his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego what had happened. Do you know what they did next? They prayed to God that He would help them with this secret dream and that very night, God told Daniel all about the king's dream. Daniel thanked God for answering his prayer.
• The next morning, Daniel went to the king's captain and said to take him before the king and he would show the king what his dream meant. The king's captain hurried and brought Daniel in before the king and said, "Here is a man of the captives that will tell you of your dream." The king then asked Daniel if he was able to tell him of his dream and the interpretation of the dream. Daniel said that no one but God could tell reveal secrets and then told the king what God had told him.
• Daniel said that the king had been thinking of what would happen in the future when he went to bed that night and that the LORD had told the king in a dream future events. Daniel said the king had seen a great image that was bright and terrible. The image's head was made of fine gold, his chest and arms were made of silver, his belly and thighs were made of brass, his legs were made of iron, his feet were made of part iron and part clay. He said that the king saw a stone that was not made with man's hands strike the image's feet that were made of iron and clay and it broke to pieces. Everything broke into such small pieces that the wind carried them away and the stone that had struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
• Then Daniel told the king what his dream meant:  It was a dream of the nations who would rule the people. King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, was the head of gold. Another inferior or lesser nation was going to rise up after Babylon who was represented by silver, even a third kingdom (brass) would rise up after the second kingdom and rule over the earth. A fourth kingdom would then reign over the people and would be as strong as iron and as harsh as iron. It would bruise and break things in pieces. Daniel said that the king also saw a fifth kingdom that was made of clay and iron, meaning that that kingdom would be part strong and part broken. But then the God heaven would set up a kingdom that would never be destroyed which the stone was a symbol, and it would break down ALL other kingdoms and would stand forever. He said that the Great God had told King Nebuchadnezzar what would happen in the future and that the dream was true.
• After this, the king fell before Daniel and spoke good things about Daniel and about his God. He made Daniel a great man and gave him many gifts, making him a ruler over a whole province or state in Babylon, even making him the chief of governors over all of the wise men of Babylon. The king knew that God was with Daniel.
• Do you know what Daniel did next? He asked the king to make Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego officers over Babylon's affairs. The granted Daniel's request, but Daniel sat in the gate of the king which was a very important place.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Read Daniel 2:29-23 to learn a little more about the God we serve. God changes the times and seasons, He removes kings and sets up new kings, He gives wisdom to the wise, He reveals secret things, He knows what is in the darkness, and the light lives in God.
• Daniel not only told the king his dream and the interpretation, but told him why he dreamed the dream in Daniel 2:29--to tell what would happen in the future.
• From history, we learn that after Babylon fell, the Medo-Persian empire rose up. After that kingdom fell, the Grecian kingdom ruled. When the Grecian kingdom fell, the Roman empire reigned over much of the world, but then that Roman kingdom divided and broke to pieces. Do any of these kingdoms rule today? No. But that little stone that grew into a mountain still rules the earth. The stone was not made with hands and is God's kingdom, the church.

ACTIVITY:  The Great Image
Materials needed:  9" x 12" yellow construction paper, 5" x 9" dark brown construction paper, scraps of shiny gold paper and light and dark brown paper, 6" x 10" piece of aluminum foil, markers, crayons, glue, scissors.

1. Hand out dark brown paper.
2. Draw a faceless man with no detail for image.
   
   
3. Cut out image.
4. On gold scrap of paper, place image's head on top. 
   
5. Trace image's head.
6. Cut out gold head. Set aside.
7. Cut foil in half, width-wise.
8. Place image on top of SHINY SIDE OF FOIL.
9. Trace chest and arms.
10. Carefully, cut out chest and arms out of foil. Set aside.
11. Place image on top of scrap of dark brown paper.
12. Trace belly and thighs. 
13. Cut belly and thighs out of dark brown paper. Set aside.
14. Place image on top of DULL SIDE OF FOIL.
15. Trace legs and feet.
16. Carefully, cut out legs and feet. Set aside.
17. Place image on top of light brown paper.
18. Trace feet.
19. Cut out feet out of light brown paper.
20. Cut light brown feet into large pieces. Set aside.
21. Glue dull-foil legs and feet to dark brown image.
22. Glue cut-up light brown paper to foiled feet.
23. Glue shiny arms and chest to dark brown image.
24. Glue gold head to dark brown image.
25. Hand out yellow paper.
26. Glue image to yellow paper.
27. Write "Daniel told the king what he dreamed, what it meant, and why the king dreamed." and "Daniel 2" to top of paper.
28. Write "GOLD" and an arrow pointing to the head in red.
29. Write "SILVER" and arrow pointing to the arms and chest in green.
30. Write "BRASS" and an arrow pointing to the belly and thighs in purple.
31. Write "IRON" and an arrow pointing to the legs and an arrow pointing to the feet in blue.
32. Write "CLAY" and an arrow pointing to the feet in brown.

Lesson - Daniel in the Palace

VERSES:   Daniel 1:1-21

MEMORY VERSE:   Daniel 1:17  "... Daniel had understanding in  all visions and dreams."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   1 Thessalonians.  Write "1 Thessalonians" on small slips of paper and hand out to the students at the end of class.

PRAYER:   Thank God for the smart minds that we have and that we will always use our minds to study His Word."

SPECIAL SONG:   The Wise Man Built His House Upon The Rock (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. Click orange circle for tune."

VISUAL AID:   Draw on whiteboard or chalkboard the Activity below or make a large paper Activity.

LESSON POINTS:

• Daniel was a young man when he was carried off into Babylonian captivity. He had three friends and their Hebrew names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. When Daniel and his friends arrived in Babylon, they were given new Babylonian names. Daniel's name was changed to Belteshazzar, but for some reason, we still refer to him as Daniel. However, we know his three friends better as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. All four friends were together in the palace in this strange new land of Babylon. The young men were chosen to live and work in the palace because they didn't have anything wrong with them physically, they were handsome, skilled in wisdom, understood science, and were able to serve in the king's palace. They were to learn the language of the Chaldeans and teach it to other people.
• The king had a food program for all who served in his palace. Everyone was given a certain portion of the king's special meat and wine to drink, so that at the end of three years, the men would be able to serve the king. 
• But there was a problem. Daniel was determined not to pollute his body with the king's fine food or with the king's wine, so he requested of the officer in charge of them, Melzar, that he and his three friends only eat pulse. 'Pulse' is another word for beans and peas and things like that. God had given the four young men favor with the officer, but Melzar was afraid that, because the young men were only going to eat pulse, that they would soon be looking skinny and in poor health and he did not want any trouble from the king. But Daniel asked if they could only eat pulse and drink water for ten days, then Melzar could come back and check them out to see if they looked badly. So, the Melzar tested them for ten days, and at the end of this time, when he saw the four friends, they looked fatter and healthier than all the other ones who had been eating the king's food and wine! So Melzar let them continue eating their pulse and drinking their water and took away the king's food.
• After this, God gave the young men knowledge ,and they were able to be skillful with what they learned and had wisdom to use the learning wisely. Daniel was also given the ability to understand dreams and visions. At the end of the three years, Melzar brought the whole group of young men in before the king and Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood out in the group. The Bible says there was none like them and whatever the king asked them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in his kingdom. God had blessed Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

"Older Student" Tips:

• 'Pulse' also has a definition of 'vegetables', but whatever Daniel and his friends were eating, it was not meat or any of the fine foods that the king wanted them to eat. Usually, people eat vegetables and beans and peas to LOSE weight, but Daniel and his friends GAINED weight, showing that God was with them.
• While Jeremiah was a prophet in Jerusalem and Ezekiel was a prophet was a prophet in Babylon by the river Chebar, Daniel was also a prophet in Babylon, but in the king's palace. They were prophets all at the same time!

ACTIVITY:   What Daniel Ate And Drank
Materials needed:  8.5" x 11" piece of white bond paper, 3" x 5 " tan construction paper, scraps of green, tan, brown construction paper, one small plastic bag for two people, glue, tape, marker, scissors.

1. Hand out white paper.
2. Cut paper into an oval shape, using most of the paper. This is the plate.
3. Hand out scraps.
4. Cut long shapes and circles out of different colored paper. These are the beans, peas, and lentils.
5. Glue beans, peas, and lentils onto plate.
6. Write "Daniel 1:15" and "Daniel, Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego ate pulse and drank water instead of the king's food." on the white plate.
7. Hand out tan paper.
8. Cut the paper into a shape of a glass.
9. Add lines to resemble a glass of water.
10. Hand out plastic see-through bag.
11. Cut 'water' out of bag.
12. Glue plastic on top of glass.
13. Tape glass to the back of the plate. (see picture).
    

Lesson - Ezekiel

VERSES:   Ezekiel 1:1-48:35

MEMORY VERSE:   Ezekiel 18:20  "The soul that sinneth, it shall die..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Review all of the New Testament books learned so far.

PRAYER:   Pray that God will forgive us of the things that we do wrong and will give us the courage and determination to do what is right.

SPECIAL SONG:   Be Careful Little Eyes (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. Click on orange circles to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:  Make large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• We have been studying a little about the prophets of God, good men like Isaiah and Jeremiah, and today we will learn a bit about another prophet whose name was Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a priest, so we know he came from the tribe of Levi. Ezekiel was one of the Jews who was taken into Babylonian captivity. When he was 30 years old, he was with the other captives in Babylon by the Chebar River when the LORD spoke to Ezekiel through a vision. While Jeremiah was being a prophet in Jerusalem, Ezekiel was a prophet at the very same time as Jeremiah, except Ezekiel was in Babylon.
• Ezekiel had many visions through his life and they all came from the LORD. That is how God spoke to some prophets--by visions--and that is how God chose to talk to Ezekiel. Has God spoke to any of us here today by a vision? No. Why not? Because we have the Bible today. We can open it up and read it and does God speak to us? Yes. We can read what He wants us to know. But did Ezekiel have a Bible? No. It hadn't been written, yet. They were doing things and writing it down back then during Ezekiel's time. Remember how we said that Isaiah and Jeremiah were Major Prophets because they wrote more than many of the other prophets? Ezekiel was a Major Prophet, too. He wrote a lot!
• God spoke to Ezekiel through visions and Ezekiel would tell the Jews what he had experienced and the message God gave him. God had told Ezekiel that the message He had for the people was a sad message full of lamentations, mourning, and woe. God told Ezekiel what to say to God's disobedient people. Ezekiel was the spokesman for God. 
• There were many important messages that God told Ezekiel, and one of them is found in Ezekiel 7:1-4. God told Ezekiel and Ezekiel told the people that they were going to reap what they sowed. Do you know what that means? The words 'reaping and sowing' are farming words. When a person 'sows' or plants carrots, what do you think will grow? Carrots! The person will 'reap' or gather carrots. When a person 'sows' wickedness, what do you think they will 'reap?' Wickedness! If a person 'sows' goodness, what do you think they will reap? Goodness! We gather what we plant or we reap what we sow! In the end all men will know that God is the LORD. 

"Older Student" Tips:

• Most often, when there is a "CH' in a name, it is pronounced like a "K" sound, as in the river Chebar.
• Interesting to note that there was not only one prophet preaching at a time, but there were a few prophets who lived and preached at the same time like Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

ACTIVITY:   Ezekiel 7:1-4
Materials needed:   9" x 12" light blue construction paper, 9" x 12" brown construction paper, 6" x 6" tan construction paper, different colored scraps of construction paper, glue, crayons, stapler, staples.

1. Hand out brown paper.
2. Fold paper in half, lengthwise.
3. Open paper.
4. Fold one edge down to meet the bottom of page.
5. Crease.
6. Hand out blue paper.
7. Place brown paper at the bottom of blue paper.
8. Staple three staples on each side to secure. This is the dirt.
9. Hand out tan paper.
10. Trace hand.
11. Cut out hand.
12. Glue hand at top of blue paper, reaching down towards dirt.
13. Cut four small circles out of light-colored paper.
14. Write two 'good seed' and two 'bad seed' on circles.
15. Glue 'seeds' in hand.
16. Cut two larger circles out of two different colors of scrap paper.
17. Cut two green 'plant' tops.
18. Staple or glue tops to large circles. These are the vegetables.
19. Write "good" on one large circle.
20. Write "bad" on the other large circle.
21. DO NOT GLUE, place vegetables in layers of brown dirt.
22. Write "We reap what we sow" at the top of the blue paper.
23. Write "Ezekiel 7:1-4" on brown dirt.

Lesson - Lamentations

VERSES:   Lamentation 1:1-5:22

MEMORY VERSE:   Lamentations 3:40   "Let us search and try our ways, and turn again unto the LORD."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Colossians.  Write "Colossians" on small slips of paper and hand out to the students at the end of class.

PRAYER:   Pray our hearts will be tender and pure and, when we sin, we will have a heart like David's and repent with our whole heart.

SPECIAL SONG:  Be Careful Little Eyes (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. Click on orange circles to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:   Draw a large Activity (see below) on the chalkboard or whiteboard.

LESSON POINTS:

• When Jeremiah, the prophet of God, wrote the book of Lamentations, it was at the saddest time ever for a child of God. "Lamentations" mean grief, sorrow, and extreme sadness. God had allowed the Babylonians to come into Jerusalem, the city of David, and totally destroy it. The Babylonians were ruthless soldiers and were not careful about anything. They wrecked the temple, and took all of the gold and precious things back to Babylon. They set the city on fire. They killed so many people and truly did not care if the person was old, young, man or woman or child. It was a terrible, terrible time for the Jews.
• Why had all of these dreadful things happened to God's people? It was because of their disobedience to God. God is a patient God, but, after warning His people for so long, His patience finally wore out. He had warned the people through Moses, through Joshua, through the judges, and through the prophets, to return to Him and serve Him only, but they did not listen all of those years. God finally said that he had had enough of their sin, their idols, their selfishness, and their lack of love for Him. He allowed a nation from the north, the Babylonians to come and ravage the city and take away the captives as their slaves to their city of Babylon.
• Jeremiah had lived through all of this destruction. He spent his whole life warning the people of Judah to turn from their evil ways and return to God. But, the people would not repent and stop doing their wicked deeds. Jeremiah saw the city destroyed and, when he wrote his book, he wrote like someone had died and he was attending a funeral, but it wasn't someone, it was the city of Jerusalem and God's people. It was so very, very sad. 
• Some people call this book of Lamentations, the "Weeping Song." Jeremiah cried over the destruction of Jerusalem, but also over the disobedient people and their stubbornness to do wickedness. 

"Older Student" Tips:

• Jeremiah wrote Lamentations after the city of Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were in Babylonian Captivity. This book was read on the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem.
• The book of Lamentations has a unique writing style. In Hebrew, there are 22 letters of their alphabet. This book is unusual because 
• Chapters 1, 2, 4, and 5  have 22 verses in each of those chapters and each of the verses in each chapters begin with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. While chapters 1, 2, and 4 are alphabetized, chapter 5 is not. When the alphabet is used in this way to write, it is called an acrostic form of writing.
• Chapter 3 is unusual because it has 66 verses and the first three verses begin with aleph (the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet), the second three verses begin with beth (the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet), and continues that way throughout the chapter, repeating the complete Hebrew alphabet. Perhaps it was written this way to help the people remember more easily.
• A 'dirge' is a funeral song. Lamentations was a long, sad funeral song.

ACTIVITY:   The Tears Of The Weeping Prophet
Materials needed:  9"x 12" tan construction paper, 9" x 12" light blue construction paper, marker, crayons, scissors, glue.

1. Hand out tan paper.
2. Write "The Tears Of The Weeping Prophet, JEREMIAH" and "Lamentations 1-5" at the top of the paper.
3. Write "(Why Jeremiah Cried Over Jerusalem)" at the bottom of the paper.
4. Hand out blue paper.
5. Fold blue paper twice, so that seven or eight 'tears' can be cut out of paper.
6. Write on each tear at a time:
• "Jeremiah's friends had become enemies. 1:2"
• "The beauty of Jerusalem departed. 1:6"
• "Jerusalem sinned a terrible sin. 1:8"
• "Jerusalem had no comforter. 1:9"
• "God was far from His people. 1:16"
• "Jerusalem's enemies were glad. 1:21"
• "Jeremiah's heart was faint. 1:22"
7. Glue 'tears" on tan paper.
8. Color.

Lesson - Jeremiah

VERSES:  Jeremiah 1:1-52:34

MEMORY VERSE:   Jeremiah 6:16   "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Philippians.  Write "Philippians" on small slips of paper and hand out at the end of class, so the students may memorize another book at home.

PRAYER:   Pray that we might always stay close to God's Word and listen to God as we read the Bible.

SPECIAL SONG:   The B-I-B-L-E  (see February - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #2 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:   Large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• Many times the prophets of God suffered because they spoke the words of God to the people. Jeremiah was one of those prophets who suffered. Jeremiah was called the "Weeping Prophet." The people were not kind to Jeremiah and it was only because Jeremiah told the people what God wanted them to hear.
• God told Jeremiah to warn the people that they were not serving and obeying Him and, because they were disobedient, Jerusalem was going to be destroyed and the people would go into captivity. The people did not like what Jeremiah had to say, but that did not stop Jeremiah. 
• Jeremiah tried his best to explain to the people that God was displeased and that they should be sorry for the things that they were doing; in fact, they should be so sorry that they would stop doing wicked things and come back to God. That is called repentance. God wanted the people to repent. 
• Jeremiah tried teaching the people through visual aids like a potter and clay and a clay jug (Jeremiah 18, 19). God told Jeremiah to go and get a clay pot and, as Jeremiah talked to the people and told them terrible things were going to happen because they disobeyed God, Jeremiah threw the clay pot down and broke it into pieces. This was a symbol of what was going to happen to the people. They would be broken and go into captivity.
• But, still, the people would not listen to Jeremiah. Instead, they rejected or refused to accept Jeremiah. They tried to kill Jeremiah (Jeremiah 11:21), they put Jeremiah in stocks (Jeremiah 20:2), they put him in a dungeon (Jeremiah 38:6), and then Jeremiah was carried off into Egypt (Jeremiah 43:5-7). But Jeremiah always obeyed God and, even if he was suffering, he obeyed God and kept preaching to the people.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Jeremiah was another prophet who wrote down the things that God wanted him to write, so the people could read God's words. He was a 'literary' prophet and that only means that he wrote down God's words.
• Jeremiah was considered a Major Prophet like Isaiah, but that did not mean that Jeremiah was more important than any of the other prophets, it just meant that he wrote more than some of the other prophets.

ACTIVITY:   Jeremiah and the clay pot (Jeremiah 19)
Materials needed:  9" x 12" green construction paper, 6" x 8" brown construction paper, 6" x 12" orange construction paper, crayons, marker, scissors, tape, stapler, staples.

1. Hand out brown paper.
2. Round corners of brown paper to resemble a jar.
3. Decorate and color jar.
4. Hand out green paper.
5. Place 'jar' in the middle of the green paper.
   
6. Trace.
7. Remove jar and cut into four pieces.
   
8. Set jar pieces aside.
9. Hand out orange paper.
10. Fold orange paper in half.
11. Staple two sides of paper to form a pocket.
12. Tape pocket to BACK of green paper.
    
13. Write "Jeremiah uses a clay pot to teach the people," at the top of the green paper.
14. Write "...but they would not listen." and "Jeremiah 19" at the bottom of the green paper.
15. After cutting jar into pieces to symbolize Jeremiah breaking the jar, put the jar 'puzzle' back together again in the middle of the green paper.
16. When leaving class, place pieces of jar into the pocket on the back of the green paper.

Lesson - Isaiah

VERSES:   Isaiah 1:1-66:24

MEMORY VERSE:   Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Ephesians.  Write "Ephesians" on small slips of paper and hand out at the end of class, so the students may take them home and memorize this book of the New Testament.

PRAYER:   Thank God for providing for us each and every day.

SPECIAL SONG:   Read, Read Every Day (see February - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #1 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

LESSON POINTS:

• Prophets were messengers from God, reminding God's people of His laws and of His desires for the people to love and obey Him. God would talk to the prophet and then the prophet would tell the people what God wanted them to know. We have learned about many of these men already and how they helped God's people when the people would listen. Remember Samuel? Everyone in all Israel knew that Samuel was a prophet (1 Samuel 3:20). Remember Nathan and how he explained to King David that the king had sinned concerning Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:1, 7). Nathan was a prophet of God. Remember Elijah? Elijah was called a prophet of God in 1 Kings 18:36. Even Deborah was a woman prophet in Judges 4:4. Yes, we have studied about many good and bad kings and have mentioned some of these prophets of God who had messages from God for the kings. 
• Not all the prophets wrote books, but some of the prophets did. Isaiah was a prophet who wrote a book! He is sometimes called a Major Prophet, not because he was more important than the other prophets, but that he just wrote more that the other prophets. 
• Isaiah wrote a lot about salvation. In fact, "Isaiah" means "Jehovah Is Salvation."  The main theme of the book of Isaiah is "The Messiah Is Coming," talking about Jesus, God's Son, who was the Messiah and was coming in the future to save all of the people from their sins, even you and me. 
• Another important message that Isaiah told the Kingdom of Judah was that the people had committed many sins, and, instead of the people being pure and white as wool or snow, there sins had made them red as scarlet or crimson. God told Isaiah and Isaiah told the people that they should reason together. If the people would be willing and obedient to God, then they would be blessed, but if the people refused to obey God, then they would die by the sword of their enemies.
• Isaiah told the people that there would be a godly remnant or a leftover part of God's people who would listen, love, and obey God. Isaiah foretold the future and said that there would be a Messiah who would come to this earth to take away their sins. People would be attracted to Jesus for his message, how Jesus would suffer for us, and would die for our sins (Isaiah 53). The only thing which would separate the people from God would be their sins (Isaiah 59:1, 2). Isaiah warned the people over and over again to love God and to obey him.

"Older Students" Tips:

• Isaiah was contemporary with Micah, Hosea and Amos which means they were all prophets at the same time.
• Isaiah foretells that God's people will be called by a new name in the future (Isaiah 62:2; 65:15). That new name would be the name, "Christians" (Acts 11:26).

ACTIVITY:   Isaiah's Portrait
Materials needed:  9" x 12" brown construction paper, 9" x 6:" white bond paper, crayons, tape, glue, scissors.

1. Hand out brown paper.
2. Fold 2" edge all around brown paper to form a frame.
3. Draw a picture of Isaiah.
4. Color Isaiah.
5. Write, "ISAIAH" and "Isaiah 53" at the top of Isaiah's picture.
6. Write "The Messiah is coming!" beside Isaiah.
7. Cut two slits on opposite sides.
8. Fold to form a corner and tape to secure.
   
9. Tape all four corners. This is the frame.
10. Glue Isaiah's picture in frame.

Lesson - The Song Of Solomon

VERSES:   Song of Solomon 1:1-8:14

MEMORY VERSE:   Song of Solomon 2:4   "...his banner over me was love."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Galatians.  Write "Galatians" on small slips of paper and hand out at the end of class, so the students can take them home to memorize the new book.

PRAYER:   May we always put God first in our lives in everything we do, even marriage.

SPECIAL SONG:   Jesus Loves Me (see February - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #2 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.) The Family In God's Plan (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #4 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.) 

VISUAL AID:  Whiteboard or chalkboard drawing of the three main characters.

LESSON POINTS:

• This lesson is a short introduction to the book of Song of Solomon, a simple and quick overview. Because the lesson is short, perhaps more time could be used in reciting the books of the Bible, Old Testament and New Testament books, or even a review of the Songs We Sing In Bible Class on this blog.
• The book we are studying today is written as a love poem or a drama. There are three main characters in this book:  the Shulamite girl who tends the vineyard, the shepherd boy, and King Solomon. No one has a name, but King Solomon. The story line is that both the shepherd boy and King Solomon love the Shulamite girl. The young Shulamite girl loves the shepherd boy, but she is being wooed by the King, who has much wealth, everything to offer, is attracted by the girl's beauty, but also has other wives. In the end, the Shulamite girl and the shepherd boy end up together (6:13). A happy ending!
• The lessons we learn from this love story are:
• True love cannot be rushed (2:5), forced (2:7) or bought (8:7). 
• A good foundation for marriage is a good friendship (5:16). 

"Older Student" Tips:

• True love must be more than infatuation or loving someone because they are "beautiful." True love is a deeper kind of love that lasts until death. The ones who the students marry should always be ones who love the LORD and will commit to each other for their whole lives. True love is best!

ACTIVITY:  The Three Main Characters Of The Song Of Solomon
Materials needed:  12" x 18" tan construction paper, crayons.

1. Hand out paper.
2. Fold the top edge 2" down.
3. Fold another 2" down from the top.
4. Unfold paper.
5. Fold paper in thirds. 
6. Unfold paper.
7. Draw on fold lines, except inside the top box. (see picture).
8. In the top box, write "The Song Of Solomon."
9. On the second line, write "The Shulamite Girl" in the first box. (see picture).
10. On the second line, write "The Shepherd Boy" in the second box.
11. On the third line, write "King Solomon" in the thrid box.
12. Under each title, draw a picture of the beautiful Shulamite girl, the shepherd boy, and King Solomon.
13. Draw backgrounds of vineyard, sheep, and pillars in the appropriate boxes.
14. Draw hearts in the boxes of the people who truly love each other.

Lesson - Ecclesiastes Gives Reason Why We Are Here

VERSES:   Ecclesiastes 1:1-12:14

MEMORY VERSE:   Ecclesiastes 12:1.  "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   2 Corinthians.  Write "2 Corinthians" on small slips of paper and hand out at the end of class, so the students may take them home to memorize.

PRAYER:   Thank God for all the beauty that He made for us to enjoy.

SPECIAL SONG:   God Created Everything (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. Click orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:   Draw a flower like in the Acitvity below on a whiteboard or chalkboard. Write verses as you teach. When you are done, and if you have drawn a VERY large flower, the students will be able to see and copy your words.

LESSON POINTS:   

• Let's turn to the book of Ecclesiastes. It is located almost in the middle of the Bible and comes right after the book of Proverbs. Let's talk about this small book. The word 'Ecclesiastes" means "Preacher." Ecclesiastes is a book that some say that Solomon wrote and it tells us many wise things. It talks about life and why we are here on this earth. There are many grown-up people who do not know the purpose of life or why they are here. Solomon tells us in these twelve chapters about things we should know in life. 
• In chapter 1, Solomon said that everything here on the earth is temporary or it would not last forever. He had tried to find happiness many ways. He said laughter and wine did not last. He built houses, gardens and orchards; he made pools of water; he had servants to wait on him; he had great possessions; he had silver and gold; he had singers sing to him; he had instruments of music play for him; none were lasting. But after trying all of these things, Solomon said that everything was vanity or it was all for nothing. There was no lasting happiness in earthly things.
• However, Solomon said that there were four good things in life. They were the food that he ate, the drink that he drank, the work that he did, and marriage. They were all gifts of God (2:13, 9:7, 9) and all were good.  
• Solomon, also, tells us many other wise sayings in the book of Ecclesiastes. He says:
• God has made everything beautiful in His time (3:11).
• Be a good citizen and obey authority. We must obey the laws of the land unless they are against God's laws. (8:2,3; Acts 5:29)
• It doesn't matter how wise a man is, he cannot know everything (8:16, 17).
• God is in control (9:1).
• Death is certain (9:2-5).
• Whatever you find to do, do it with all of your might or power (9:10).
• One reason we have trials is that time and chance happen to all men (9:11).
• Be careful what you say (10:20).
• Don't worry about things you cannot change (11:3).
• The most important thing in the whole book of Ecclesiastes that Solomon tells us is found in the last chapter of the book. It's like he saved the most important till the very end. He says that we should remember the Creator or God while we are young, that way we will have our whole lives to do much work for the LORD. The very last two verses of this good book, Solomon tells us why we are living on this earth--why we are here. He says we must fear or reverence and honor God and keep His commands. (Mark 12:30 is also a good verse to read about the man's purpose.) That is it. Our whole lives, we should honor God and obey him. That is the reason we are alive on this earth!

"Older Student" Tips:

• The definition of Ecclesiastes is 'Preacher."
• See how many times the students can find the phrase "under the sun." This is a repetitive saying of the writer of this book.
• There are four life cycles mentioned in Ecclesiastes 1:4-7. Can the students find them?
• One wise thing that this book tells us is that "All is vanity."  Do we know what 'vanity' means?

ACTIVITY:   He Made Everything Beautiful In His Time
Materials needed:  9" x 12" blue construction paper, 9" x 12" orange construction paper, 4" x 4" yellow construction paper, 5" x 6" green construction paper, glue, scissors, marker, crayons, pencil.

1. Hand out blue paper.
2. Round corners with scissors.
3. Hand out orange paper.
4. Fold orange paper in thirds and then fold in half to create six squares.
5. Cut one circle out of each square, using most of the paper. These are the petals of the flower.
6. Hand out yellow paper.
7. Cut big circle out of yellow paper. This is the middle of the flower.
8. Cut 2" strip off of edge of green paper. This is the stem.
9. Fold remaining green paper in half and cut out two leaves.
10. Glue yellow circle in the middle of the blue paper.
11. Glue orange circles all around the yellow circle, making sure not to cover much of the yellow paper.
12. Glue edge of stem and tuck under orange petals.
13. Glue green leaves to stem.
14. On yellow paper, write, "He hath made everything beautiful in His time. (3:11).
15. On each orange petal write a good shortened verse, such as...Be a good citizen (8:2, 3), a wise man does not know everything (8:16, 17), God is in control (9:1), Whatever you do, do it with all of your might (9:10), Be careful what you say (10:20), Fear God and keep His commands (12:13, 14).
16. Write "Ecclesiastes" on one leaf and "Preacher" on the other.
17. If there is time, Write "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth..." "Ecclesiastes 12:1-14" and "Fear God and keep His commandments" all around the outside of the blue paper. (See picture above.)
18. Simply beautiful!

Reflections Halfway Through The Bible

In eight months of blogging, we now find ourselves a little over halfway through the entire Bible! Isn't that totally amazing?! This blog may be a lesson in itself, proving that if a person takes a large job and divides it up into many jobs, the load is lightened and the job gets done a bit easier. 

We have covered quite a bit of material over these eight months. How are the classes going? Do you feel more confident, knowing that through a diligent study, a prayerful attitude, and with enough preparation time, much can be accomplished? Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, "Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might..." Are we teaching with our whole heart? Do we believe and can we see that our students are growing in Bible knowledge? Ask your students questions, do they know the Bible answers? Are you teaching them well?

These are questions that are important! Our whole aim is to teach the Bible--and the Bible only-- to children. We have the Bible. We have the children. If the Lord is willing, we have the time. All we need is the effort of a compassionate Bible teacher who can see the need to teach God's Word to young minds. Let us do the best that we are able. The students will learn and a loving God will bless us. Proverbs 11:30 encourages all Bible teachers--"...he that winneth souls is wise." Let us strive to be wise.

Extra Helps #11 - Sometimes We Forget

Sometimes we forget.  Occasionally, I will see a mother in a mall or walking down the street, holding her child's hand, walking somewhere in a hurry. Trying to keep up with Mom as fast as they can, the child's little legs are walking three times faster than those of the mother's. We forget that our children's legs are shorter than ours!

Frequently, I will hear a mother talking to her young child, using a very intelligent word that an adult would need to pause to define. Looking at the child's puzzled face, we forget that our children's vocabulary is not quite as large as ours.

Have we ever told our child to "fold it and put it in the drawer," only to be frustrated when we see how it was folded and put in the drawer? We forget that our children's definitions are not quite the same as ours.

That same 'forgetfulness' may apply to Bible class. Perhaps we hastily write a verse we are referring to in the lesson on the whiteboard, for example...2 Chron. 7:13-15. We, as adults, may know that the "2" stands for the "second book", "Chron." is shortened for the book of "Chronicles," the "7" means the seventh chapter, the "13" refers to the thirteenth verse, the "-" says to include all the verses between numbers, and the "15" tells us at what verse to stop. The important question is: Do your students know what that abbreviation means? Have you taken the time somewhere along the way to explain that Bible verses can be abbreviated and how to decipher them? We forget that our Bible students' knowledge might not be able to decipher the same 'code' we have used for many years. Let's take time to teach Book, Chapter, and Verse to our students, teaching them how to read abbreviated verses. Where else can they learn these important facts, but from their Bible teacher?  Let's give them the tools they need to gain Bible knowledge!

Lesson - Proverbs, Miniature Sermons

VERSES:   Proverbs 1:1-31:31

MEMORY VERSE:   Proverbs 3:5   "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   1 Corinthians.  Write "1 Corinthians" on small slips of paper and hand out to the students at the end of class, so they will take them home and memorize them.

PRAYER:   Thank God for His Word and that we are blessed with a copy to read.

SPECIAL SONG:   The Books of the Old Testament and The Books Of The New Testament (See words and tune on March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class on this blog. Click on orange circle for tune.)

VISUAL AID:   A Large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• Did you know that there is a book in the Bible that tells many short sermons using two sentences for each sermon? Yes, Proverbs is the book and King Solomon wrote most of the book. Do you remember how King Solomon was asked by God what he desired or wanted? And what did King Solomon want more than anything? That's right! Wisdom! He wanted to know how to deal with the people in his kingdom. God was so pleased with Solomon's answer that he also gave him riches and fame. Solomon was very wise and wrote down many, many proverbs and now we can read his wise sayings by reading the book of Proverbs.
• Let's turn our Bibles to Proverbs in the middle of the Bible. Who brought their Bible today? That is wonderful. We need to read the Bible every day, so we can know what God wants us to do, don't we? Let's read from a verse from Proverbs. Turn to Proverbs 3:5. (Read verse.) Here, Solomon has given us advice! The wisest man who ever lived, besides Jesus, is telling us a smart thing to do. What did he say? Trust in the LORD. We have studied a lot about different people in the Bible who trusted the LORD. Can you name someone? Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, even Solomon. So, one smart thing we can do is trust God. We live our life reading the Bible and doing what it says and always trusting in God.
• But that verse says something else, doesn't it? It said not to 'lean on thine own understanding.' What does that mean? That's right! We don't trust in ourselves. How do we know what to do? We don't know unless someone tells us or shows us. Here, Solomon is telling us the smart thing to do and  that is to trust God and not ourselves.
• The book of Proverbs is full of good advice. The verses tell us the right thing to do or not to do in God's eyes. If we know to do the right thing the first time, it can save us a whole lot of time, money, energy, and heartache. Solomon was very wise and we can be wise, too, if we take his advice.

"Older Student" Tips:

• The book of Proverbs was mostly written by King Solomon. Remember he had chosen wisdom when God had asked him what he wanted. God, through Solomon, shared His wisdom with us by writing short truisms or sayings down. Now, we can read these short, usually two lines and learn a great deal.
• Perhaps the theme of Proverbs is "Get wisdom!" There are many verses on different themes though out Proverbs, such as fearing God, how parents can raise their children, how to handle anger, how to be a good friend, the danger of pride, how we should watch our tongues, and the book talks a lot about fools.

ACTIVITY:  "A Wise Proverb...Or Not?" 
Materials needed:  5" x 12" strip of construction paper, leftover 3" x 5" rectangles of scraps of construction paper (or pre-cut index cards), stapler, staples, crayons, pencils, or markers.

1. Hand out 10-12 cards to each student.
2. The student copies a proverb from the Bible on half of the cards.
3. On the rest of the cards,  the student makes up an unwise proverb. Students may take a proverb from the Bible and alter it a bit to make it an unwise proverb. 
4. At the bottom of each card, in very small print, write the verse or the word "Not!"
5. When the students are finished writing, set aside.
6. Hand out 5" x 12" strip of paper.
7. Fold paper a little less than in half.
8. Staple on two opposite sides. This is the card pocket.
9. Write "A Wise Proverb...Or Not?" and "Book of Proverbs" on the outside of the card pocket.
10. Tuck in the finished cards in the card pocket to take home.
11. Before leaving class, it is nice if the student share their 'proverbs' whether it be with whole class (if the class is small) or with a partner.
12. One student holds up one of the cards, making sure their fingers cover up the tiny verse or the tiny word, "Not!" and test each other to see if they know wise proverbs from unwise proverbs.

Lesson - Psalm 23

VERSES:   Psalm 23:1-6

MEMORY VERSE:   Psalm 1:1   "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Review the first six books of the New Testament. Make sure students know these six books before going on to the next book.

PRAYER:   Thank God for the comfort He gives through His Word.

SPECIAL SONG:   Read, Read Every Day  (see February - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #1 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:   Make a large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• Special Note:  Depending on time available and desires of the Bible teacher, it is nice to divide this Psalm into six lessons, taking one verse at a time. This is a great way to memorize the entire chapter, a little at a time.
• We all remember David. What do we remember about David? We know that he was the youngest son of Jesse, a shepherd, he could play the harp very well, he killed Goliath, he trusted in God, he was King Saul's son's best friend, he became King over all twelve tribes of Israel, he was a man of war, he loved God, and he was a man after God's own heart. Today, we are going to learn one more thing about David.  He was a writer! He wrote 73 psalms, which made up almost half of the book of Psalms. Whenever David was sad, or afraid, or happy, he wrote a psalm. The most famous of all of these psalms is Psalm 23. Many people who have never been to church or read the Bible know this Psalm! Let's turn our Bibles to Psalm 23 and read what David wrote. (Read chapter slowly.)
• Verse 1 -"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." David said that the LORD was his shepherd. Just like David watched over his sheep, feeding them and protecting them, he said God was like that to him. God was his shepherd. The shepherd took care of sheep and loved them and God took care of David. The shepherd gave the sheep everything they needed just like God gave David everything he needed. The sheep did not need or want anything because the shepherd gave them everything they needed. God gives us everything we need, doesn't he? He gives us food, water, air, clothes, a place to sleep, everything!
• Verse 2 - "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters." Just as a shepherd would lead his sheep where he wanted them to go, God leads us. How do we know where God wanted us to go? The Bible tells us! God leads us through the verses in the Bible and all we need to do is read them. Sheep do not know where they need to go to find food. How do they know where to go? The shepherd leads them. That is just like God. He leads us in the right places. He would never lead us away from goodness and away from Him.  He leads us where we need to go.
• Verse 3 - "He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." When we are tired and weary, God gives us what we need to 'fix' ourselves. We can open up the Bible and read what we need to do make friends with God again. He leads us in all the right places, and never the wrong places.
• Verse 4 - "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." When we are afraid and feel all alone and maybe feel that no one loves us--which they do, but sometimes we feel like they don't--we can feel better, knowing that God is always with us and always loves us and will never leave us. We can be comforted through God's Word.  As long as we are trying to do what is right, God will be with us.
• Verse 5 - "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."  God provides us with everything we need.  He blesses us with so much that we have much more than we need. He takes care of us when our enemies are around us. When we are tempted, He makes a way for us to escape. He even provides a way out! We just need to look for it!
• Verse 6 - "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."  If we follow God all the time, goodness and mercy will follow us, or will always be close by us. Not for just a little while, God will make sure that goodness and mercy will be with all of our lives. In the end, we can know that we will live with God in heaven forever, if we follow His commands and obey Him. He is our shepherd and guide. He knows the way and we should always follow Him.

"Older Student" Tips:

• The book of Psalms is broken up into 150 psalms and were written by many people, but David wrote more than anyone. Not only David did write most of the psalms, but also the sons of Korah, Asaph, Heman, Ethan, Solomon, Moses, Haggai, Zechariah, Hezekiah, and Ezra wrote at least one psalm.
• The Psalms covers many subjects, most about the coming Messiah. Other subjects include trusting the LORD, prayer, home, the Word of God, praising God, and sin.
• Psalms is the book that is in the middle of the Bible. The longest chapter in the whole Bible is Psalm 119 with 150 verses.

ACTIVITY:  Book
Materials needed:  two pieces of 9" x 12" any color of construction paper, six white pieces of bond paper, crayons.

1. Hand out both pieces of construction paper. These are the back and front covers of the book.
2. On one piece of paper, write the title, "Psalm 23" in the middle of the paper.
   
3. Hand out one piece of white paper.
4. Write  a "1" in the lower right hand corner of the paper.
5. At the top of the paper, write "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." 
6. Draw picture on the bottom portion of the paper about verse 1.
7. Hand out another piece of white paper.
8. Write a "2" in the lower right hand corner of the paper.
9. At the top of the paper, write "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters." 
10. Draw picture on the bottom portion of the paper about verse 2.
    
11. Hand out another piece of white paper.
12. Write a "3" in the lower right hand corner of the paper.
13. At the top of the paper, write  "He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." 
14. Draw picture on the bottom portion of the paper about verse 3.
    
15. Hand out another piece of white paper.
16. Write a "4" in the lower right hand corner of the paper.
17. At the top of the paper, write "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." 
18. Draw picture on the bottom portion of the paper about verse 4.
    
19. Hand out another piece of white paper.
20. Write a "5" in the lower right hand corner of the paper.
21. At the top of the paper, write "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."  
22. Draw picture on the bottom portion of the paper about verse 5.
    
23. Hand out the last piece of white paper.
24. Write a "6" in the lower right hand corner of the paper.
25. At the top of the paper, write "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." 
26. Draw picture on the bottom portion of the paper about verse 6.